


2 Minutes

by kmsquill



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Brothers, Dadza, Family, Family Dynamics, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Other, Sleepyboisinc - Freeform, Tommy is little gremlin child, Twin Brothers, family love, george might come in later as a cameo, journey to find their moms!!, phil biological dad, real world AU, single dad philza, sleepybois, sleepytwt - Freeform, techno's the good child, twins AU but separate moms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-14 13:02:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29171556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kmsquill/pseuds/kmsquill
Summary: There was no mother in the household of three boys and a single father. The oldest twins never questioned it outwardly, at least Techno didn’t.But apparently Wilbur did.When they were old enough, the two twins went on a journey to find their mothers and see what they missed out on.And what they possibly took for granted.
Kudos: 13





	1. Curiosity

**Author's Note:**

> hello i have not written in a while but now i am inspired again hallelujah.
> 
> my first multiple part piece!! hopefully i won't abandon this haha. i definitely don't want to but we'll see!
> 
> 9 chapters is tentative? im not sure if it'll be that long but we'll see!
> 
> hope you enjoy!

Techno didn’t have a lot of female figures in his life. 

It wasn’t a huge downside, really. Living in a household with two brothers and a single father left no room for estrogen to even think about stepping foot into the house. A prepubescent boy with angry declarations of contradicting statements about women was enough to prevent any women from coming within a ten mile radius of them. 

It sucked for Techno’s twin, who was constantly trying to enamor females and bring them hope to sing sappy love songs in an attempt to woo them. Whether it was Tommy’s constant cracks at what he presumed to be jokes, Wilbur’s constant wrangling of Tommy and his rambunctiousness before dramatically weeping into his songs, Techno’s stone silence and uncomfortable social anxiety, or Phil’s graying hairs of a midlife crisis, there wouldn’t be a single girl coming back for second dates. Or dates back in their house, at least.

Techno never minded all that much, though. Sure, Tommy was constantly a gnat buzzing in his ears that left him constant headaches and Wilbur sometimes laid it on a little too thick with his constant musical language and euphemisms. He was pretty sure he could feel the floorboards quiver every time Tommy stomped by, and the walls trembling from Wilbur’s singing at midnight caused too many late nights that Techno yearned to have back for more hours of sleep.

But for each annoying interaction, there was a quiet night by the fireplace with Wilbur falling asleep on Techno’s shoulder as they had settled in with their own books for a quiet night of reading. Every annoying rebuttal from Tommy was a mumble of gratitude when Techno cleaned the dishes in place for the younger boy or the hidden candy bars or cool books he left for him on his bed. For every time he looked at the common family with mothers and sisters helping braid the younger girl's hair, he could feel his father’s fingers threading through his long pink hair and the gentle humming of a songbird’s breath from his lips.

Sure, there were negatives sometimes. But it was never enough to make Techno rethink his life or wish it were any different.

So when he and Wilbur were thirteen years old, hearing Wilbur wonder for the first time about a mother in their life made Techno feel… Confused, in a long story short.

It was another Mother’s Day, which was any normal day to them in their household. As a joke from the year before, Techno had gotten a “Happy Mother’s Day!” card for Phil and gave it to him with a few of his his favorite candies taped inside. He could remember the wheezing laugh that came out of Phil, how his grin suddenly lit up their house in the late spring afternoon. His eyes were glowing with so much amusement and joy, it even made Techno smile and blush in embarrassment at how much Phil had enjoyed it. Tommy and Wilbur, when they found out, each shared a twin snort of amusement. Tommy nagged at Phil for the rest of the evening, but Techno remembered going down later that evening for a late night snack and seeing the card pinned onto the fridge with care. Techno went to bed with a smile on his face.

Wanting to continue the tradition, he decided to do it again this year and invited Wilbur to accompany him after school to get a card as well. Tommy joined in for the joke, getting an outlandish card with lots of different pop-up stickers with bright neon pink coloring that made them all laugh in the middle of a Tesco aisle. Despite Tommy's atrocious choice, Techno and Wilbur had picked out simple but thoughtful cards that would at least be genuine in counter to Tommy's. 

During dinner, they presented their cards to him and watched him almost choke on a meatball from laughter as he opened them up. Techno remembered seeing him squint from the brightness of Tommy’s card, the younger boy almost falling off his chair from wheezing laughter as he did so. Despite the joking manner Tommy had provided, Techno could see the genuine love and appreciation in their father’s eyes as he thanked each of them before taking their dishes and cleaning them up. Techno helped him finish the dishes while the other two escaped upstairs, and Techno hid a smile as he watched Phil pin the cards back up on the fridge just like he had done with Techno’s the year before. 

Now, Techno sat on the edge of his bed with his ankles crossed loosely and a book nestled in his hands as he read beside his dull light perched up on his nightstand. Wilbur’s side of the room across from him was lit up by his dull orange lamps, the loose strings of a melody humming from his guitar. Techno would flinch every time Wilbur slipped due to exhaustion, but otherwise he didn’t mind the peaceful ambiance helping his brain settle down for the night.

One more string was played, quiet and resounding, before Wilbur finally spoke in the silence, “Do you ever wonder about our moms?”

Techno paused in what he was doing, glancing up over his glasses. Wilbur was still looking down at his guitar, his waving hair covering half of his face but revealing the way his jaw had tightened slightly. The guitar was still fading out, causing his fingers to tremble slightly.

“Hm?” Techno hummed, the question slightly buried behind the quiet stillness his mind had been pulled into by his book. He reached down, gently tucking the bookmark in before closing his book softly and gearing his brain to focus on the conversation.

“Our moms,” Wilbur echoed, still not looking up from where they were focused on his calloused fingers resting on the guitar. “Do you ever… Wonder? About who they are?”

Techno tilted his head slightly, his brows furrowing a little. “Uh…”

It was an odd question to him, personally. It seemed as complex as the universe and stars beyond their reach, but to Techno… It was simple. With a small shrug, he replied, “Not particularly, no.”

“You don’t?” Wilbur asked with faint surprise, looking up with slightly widened eyes. “Not even a little bit?”

“Well, okay, a little,” Techno adhered, frowning. “But not enough to make me rethink everythin’, you know? We’re just fine with Phil raisin’ us, aren’t we?”

“Of course we are,” Wilbur agreed, but he was frowning now as well as he studied Techno. “But you seriously haven’t thought about it?”

“Nope,” Techno confirmed, the ‘p’ popping on his lips. He wriggled his finger back into the book, gently edging the bookmark out of its place and nudging his glasses up his face as his eyes moved back down to the paper. “Not interested.”

There was a long silence from Wilbur, making Techno’s neck prickle from his stare. But then Wilbur chuckled, the prickling sensation fading as he strummed a few more chords. “You definitely have an American mom.”

Techno looked up sharply, making Wilbur laugh as he protested, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Your accent!” Wilbur laughed, shaking his head as he gave Techno a disbelieving smile. “You’ve seriously never thought about it? Even with your different dialect?”

Techno frowned again, squaring his shoulders and meeting Wilbur’s eyes evenly. “I could care less that I sound different. I have a slight accent; isn’t that enough?” He snorted, jabbing at him playfully, "I'm glad I don't sound like you guys sometimes; you guy's sound weird."

“But don’t you remember anything?” Wilbur asked, his voice softening. “Haven’t you wondered what memories you may have of your mom, if any?”

“I don’t remember,” Techno responded bluntly, shifting and moving so he was now resting against his backboard. He fixed his eyes back on his book, rubbing his throat self-consciously. “Don’t remember, don’t care.”

Wilbur was silent for awhile once more, but finally he let out a quiet noise of resignation and started strumming his guitar again, the room now gently humming with melody.

Techno felt himself sag in relief when Wilbur dropped the conversation, but the questions remained sticking into his brain as the lights in their room eventually turned off and sent them into the night. 

As Techno drifted off, he could almost feel the darkest corners of his brain tugging and turning on worn lamps, clearing out the dust and reaching for the faintest of memories he may have.

The only thing Techno could remember was reddish brown hair.

-

Techno luckily escaped the mom-related questions from Wilbur for a while again. The next two Mother’s Day’s, Techno could see the brief look of wonder and yearning on Wilbur's face as they continued getting cards for Phil, but thankfully nothing was brought up again. 

Life was still normal for the most part. Techno could feel the little itch in his brain seeing Wilbur’s expression every time they passed by a mother, the brief image of reddish-brown hair appearing and vanishing as quickly as it came. But Techno never bothered asking Phil or doting on it; he didn’t know anything about his past, and he didn’t bother to think about it. There were too many other important things he needed to focus on, such as school and fencing. 

Besides, if his life was fine right now having Phil as the only parent in his life, why should he care? It didn’t change anything. 

But the next time the topic of mothers was brought up, it was accidental. 

It was both his and Wilbur's 16th birthday. As twins, it made it easy and much more exciting to celebrate. Techno didn’t have too many peers he considered close enough to deem a friend, but Wilbur’s mass of friends certainly made the house bustle with life as they spent the day celebrating. Techno was more sociable with the adult friends Phil introduced to him, finding their conversations much easier to follow and much more valuable to his future studies than whatever Wilbur was rambling on about with his friends.

As the evening passed and everyone started leaving after the birthday dinner, Phil slowly rose from where he had seated himself in the armchair, a small smile on his face. “I have one more present for you, Wilbur.”

“Wow, feelin’ the love,'' Techno joked. When Phil blinked at him in mild hesitance, he gave Phil a reassuring smile and shook his head. “I’m kiddin’. I know what it is. Go grab the gift.”

“Another gift?” Wilbur perked up, distracted from where he and Tommy were playing a new game on their console. Tommy whined in protest, but Wilbur was now enraptured as he watched Phil disappear into his room. Wilbur looked over at Techno, eyes wide. “I thought we agreed on the two gifts for each other!”

“Surprise,” Techno cheered with a smile, making a weak effort to shake his hands in a jazzy fashion that made Tommy snort. As Techno shot the younger brother a look, he turned his gaze back to his twin and smiled. “Don't worry, it's worth it. You’ll like it.”

Wilbur scrunched his nose, as if wanting to protest, but his argument died off as Phil came in with a large box, wrapped neatly in white paper with a baby blue bow tied neatly to the top and wrapping around the core of the gift.  Techno scooted back to lean against the couch, Phil sitting down on the couch beside him. He could feel a gentle hand reach up and rest on his head, combing through Techno’s hair as he gently encouraged Wilbur, “Go ahead and open it.”

Wilbur’s eyes were shining, scooting forward excitedly and reaching for the bow. He paused for a moment to smirk up at Techno, reaching towards the bow threateningly. “I’m assuming this bow was made by you?”

“Oh no,” Techno groaned, Phil and Tommy laughing as Wilbur viciously ripped at the bow until it loosened, scraping and getting ripped up . There were a few small tears in it now from the force, making Techno clutch his chest in mock pain while the others laughed. 

Wilbur tossed Techno the floppy bow with a grin before continuing on, ripping up the simple white paper until it revealed the cardboard box underneath. As Wilbur studied it with a confused expression, Techno felt the cushion behind him recede slightly as Phil leaned forward and passed Wilbur his box-cutting knife they had placed on the small coffee table beside them. Phil sank back, the cushion jutting forward and softly punching Techno’s back as Wilbur wrestled with the cardboard for a moment before succeeding. 

As he passed the boxcutter back to Techno and opened it up, he let out a soft but sharp gasp. Techno craned his neck, trying and failing to hide his smile as Wilbur reached down and removed the new glossy guitar case from the box, his grin stretching over his face. “Are you kidding me? Yes!”

“Happy birthday,” Phil murmured warmly, his eyes glowing. “Techno said you wanted that kind, so we managed to scrounge up enough money for it together.”

“Now you can sell your other one,” Techno informed with a small smirk. “Make up money to pay us back.”

Wilbur narrowed his eyes at Techno as Tommy snorted again from his spot on the floor, but his expression was quickly replaced by his grin again as he opened it up to his new acoustic guitar, newly polished and tuned. Wilbur ran his fingers along the chords, a small shiver running up Techno’s back as the fresh tunes sang purely from the instrument.

Wilbur’s grin stretched wider, and he set down his guitar for a moment to quickly scoot around and wrap Techno in a fierce hug. Techno coughed from the force, but he wrapped his arms around him and patted his back briefly before letting go and turning his head to watch him hug Phil tightly. “Thank you two so much!”

He pulled away, going to sit back down and settling the guitar in his lap. He paused for a moment, grinning up at them again. “I promise I’ll pay you back.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Techno waved a hand, rolling his eyes. “Just do my chores for the month and we’ll call it even.”

“Deal!” Wilbur grinned again, and Techno snorted with a satisfied nod. Wilbur settled back down, the grin slowly fading as his face scrunched up with concentration. He did another experimental strum of the guitar before starting to play a song, one that Techno recognized but couldn’t put a name to it. It was just as melodic as he remembered, the sweet tunes echoing off the walls and surrounding the room in a gentle atmosphere. 

Techno closed his eyes, letting himself smile and lean back. Phil’s hand found Techno’s head again, rubbing a thumb over his scalp and along the left side of his temple. It was a gentle touch, nurturing and loving, and Techno took a brief moment to appreciate the hand that had guided him this far. He had raised him, Wilbur, and Tommy without another person to depend on, and he’d raised them well.

Techno smiled again, leaning into his father’s touch and basking in the moment. He wouldn’t change a thing.

Then Wilbur’s song ended, and Phil gave him a weak and surprisingly emotional smile. “You play just like your mother.”

Techno and Wilbur both stiffened in shock, a brief moment of silence passing between them before Techno quickly looked over at Wilbur's expression. It was one of pure joy, clutching the guitar as he leaned forward with a hopeful glint in his eyes. “Really?”

But when Techno turned to look at Phil, the man had stiffened as well. His face had fallen, and he slowly lifted his fingers to his pursed lips. Techno felt his gut sink, but mostly for Wilbur. It had clearly been an accident. Wilbur recognized this and sank back a little, but there was a small kindle of determined hope that kept the three older boys stuck where they were.

Phil was silent for a while, the tension pressing down into them until Tommy broke the silence with a huff, standing up. “Whatever. You can put the game away since you weren’t playing with me, dick.”

He left the room, heading upstairs, and Phil slowly exhaled. He inhaled and exhaled again, two breaths before he finally stood up, smiling weakly. His gaze was fixed on Wilbur, cloudy with memories. “Yes. She was… extravagant.”

Wilbur leaned forward again, as if hoping for more, but Phil had quickly moved on as he went forward and turned off the game Tommy had been playing. As he gathered up the console remotes and set them on top of the television, he smiled weakly over at Techno. “I hope you boys had a good birthday.”

He turned to look back over at Wilbur, but Techno could see the strain in his neck from doing so, wanting desperately to look away. His voice had grown a little more subdued as he chided, “Don’t keep the house up too late with your new guitar, okay?”

“Dad?” Wilbur questioned quietly, but Phil moved away and into the kitchen to finish a few lingering dishes from the party. Wilbur gave Techno a desperate look, but Techno didn’t meet his eyes as he stood up and slowly made his way to the staircase, his steps dragging despite wanting to escape as quickly as he could. He didn't want to be a part of this; his anxiety was quietly gnawing at the back of his throat, and he knew it was way too late to be getting this deep.

Techno was halfway up the stairs before he heard Wilbur’s voice again, quiet but full of hurt. “When do Techno and I get to know about our moms, Phil?”

Techno froze, his fingers stiffening around the handrail against the wall. He glanced up briefly, making sure Tommy wasn’t coming down the stairs before pressing himself up against the wall to his right, hiding in the shadows. He glanced down, only seeing the tip of Wilbur’s guitar as he stood at the bottom of the stairs around the other side of the wall. 

There was another tense silence downstairs, accompanied by the crickets starting to chirp outside until Phil finally admitted, “It’s… Not a fun story, Will.”

“But I want to hear it,” Wilbur protested, his voice muted. It sounded just like a younger version of Wilbur, small and afraid but defiant. “I want to know, Phil. We deserve to know.”

“You do,” Phil agreed, but his voice sounded heavy. There was a beat of silence, then another. Two beats. “I know. I just…”

“We’re ready for it, Phil,” Wilbur assured, Techno seeing the guitar wave slowly as he shuffled on the floor. “We really are. We’re prepared for anything.”

“I know,” Phil repeated, his voice softer. “But…”

_ He’s not ready.  _

The beat of silence was enough for Wilbur as well, Techno feeling the energy change as Wilbur moved closer to the stairs. Techno started making his way up the stairs again, ready to race away if he got into view, but Phil’s words stopped them both from moving.

“I’ll tell you two when you’re 18, I promise.”

Techno had escaped into his room after that, ignoring the new books he got for his birthday and instead grabbing an older book, waiting for Wilbur to enter the room a few minutes later. Wilbur was quiet for a long time, moving his guitars around and placing his new one beside his bed while storing the other one away in the corner of the room with messes of sheet music and loose clothing. Techno wrinkled his nose, but stayed silent as Wilbur sat on his bed, still and quiet. 

Techno kept his eyes on the book below him, but he could barely see the words and didn’t let them register in his head. His heart was pounding a little too likely for him, but he knew it wouldn't settle until the façade broke. Finally, Wilbur’s voice whispered through the room, “Why aren’t you reading one of your new books?”

Techno paused for a moment before closing it, setting it in the small bookcase installed in his nightstand as he straightened. “I’m not reading.”

He turned to the side and rested up against his backboard again, meeting Wilbur’s gaze from across the room. Cinnamon-colored eyes met deep mocha, staring at each other for a long moment until Techno finally admitted quietly, “I heard.”

Wilbur nodded, exhaling slowly. “Eighteen.”

Techno nodded back, echoing softly, “Eighteen.”

Wilbur pursed his lips, looking out at the window and watching the lights flicker outside in the darkness. Techno followed his gaze, watching the nighttime world move outside as well in the silence. Techno’s brain was ticking gently, a small clock in the back of his head, but he stayed quiet and let his brother think in the quiet.

Then Wilbur gave him a crooked smile, shuffling so he could get under the covers and settle into bed. “Well… Start counting the days.”

Techno gave him a small huff in return, but he felt antsy settling into bed.

He didn’t care all that much, truly. He had lived his life without a female figure, specifically without a mother figure. He didn’t need one.

But when he saw the calendar placed up a month before their 18th birthday, a red marker crossing out the days, Techno couldn’t help but start counting as well.


	2. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confession of a single father about how his sons came to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO IM BACK i had inspiration after i finished chapter 1 to start chapter 2, but i was too tired and didn't end up starting it. long story short i hit writer's block and didn't write this for a while LMAO
> 
> but its here now!! i dont like it as much but oh well lmao. hopefully the next one will be better!
> 
> hopefully ill be inspired to write more and itll come sooner! but until then, hopefully you guys enjoy!

Wilbur never set alarms for anything in his life. Techno was always the one to set the school alarms or alarms in general since they usually woke up for the same things. It was impossible to sleep through Techno's alarm clock anyways since it could be heard down the hall. Tommy started to use Techno's alarm as his own for school because of how loud it was.

So when Wilbur apparently stole Techno’s clock and set an alarm for their 18th birthday at 7am, Techno wanted to rip his own ears off and strangle Wilbur for the previous 18 years of setting alarms for the both of them.

“Good morning, Techno!” Wilbur sang, his voice raspy from sleep but filled with excitement. Techno’s bed lurched under him, his brother sitting on the end and giving him a sleepy grin as the alarm blared loudly around them. “Happy 18th birthday, twin!”

Techno blinked rapidly, the haze of sleep making the end of his bed blurry and putting his brother in a blob-like state. He rubbed his face before snuggling back into his pillow and groaning, “Why did you have us wake up this early?”

“Because it’s our 18th birthday!” Wilbur replied earnestly, bouncing on the bed and shaking Techno. Techno let out another small groan, followed by Wilbur’s laugh. “We’re adults now; we could do whatever we want.”

“I wasn’t expectin’ the first adult thing you would do in your entire life is to wake up on our birthday at 7am,” Techno mumbled around his pillow, which was starting to feel softer under his head and lure him back into sleep. He pushed his face into the pillow, closing his eyes and willing sleep to return back to him despite the alarm still ringing loudly in their room.

“Oh, come on,” Wilbur tisked, reaching for Techno’s ankle under the covers and snagging it. Techno jerked it out of his grip, folding his knees closer to himself, and Wilbur chuckled. “You would be awake within the next hour anyway; you wake up so early. Why not make it earlier for today since it’s special?”

“Oi!” A rough voice snapped from the doorway. Wilbur turned his head, and Techno rolled over and blinked a bit more morning fuzz out of his eyes to see Tommy at the entrance to their room. His face was clearly still scuffed with sleep but blazing with as much anger as his tired eyes could muster. His blonde hair was sticking up all over the place, his glare sharp. “Turn that fucking thing off! I can hear that shit down the hall!”

“Not even a happy birthday for your two older brothers?” Wilbur chided, but he obeyed and moved off of Techno’s bed to go turn off the loudly chirping alarm. When it was silenced, Techno let out a sigh of relief and let his tired eyes close again as the ringing in his ears slowly died down.

“Not after that morning alarm, dickhead,” Tommy grunted, flipping Wilbur off before stomping back down the hallway. Techno could hear the board’s creaking with Tommy’s tired lumbering steps, followed by the door slamming shut behind him as he went back into his room.

Techno let out another small sigh, about to sink back into his bed, but suddenly the heavy blankets around him disappeared and cold air coiled around him as Wilbur yanked the sheets off, grinning widely as Techno groaned loudly in protest. “Come on, sleepy pig! Get up! It’s adult time!”

“Two more minutes,” Techno mumbled, covering his face with his arm and squeezing his eyes shut. There was no way he was starting his first day as an adult listening to what Wilbur had to say, especially since it was one of the first times in a while he had set his own alarm.

Wilbur sighed dramatically, tossing his sheets back in a messy clump onto Techno’s bare legs. As Techno wriggled his feet back into their warmth, Wilbur submitted, “Fine, sure. I’ll give you exactly two minutes, and I’ll start a cup of coffee for you. Deal?”

Techno really didn’t want to; even though he was probably going to wake up within the next hour anyways, he wanted to resist and fall back asleep just for a little longer. But when he looked back up at Wilbur’s face, he couldn’t deny the hopeful and excited shine in his brother’s eyes.

“Deal,” Techno finally mumbled in agreement, listening to Wilbur’s soft cheer before his retreating steps as he made his way out of the room, the louder thumping of him going down the stairs shaking the floor underneath Techno gently. 

Techno attempted to push his face deeper into his pillow, but his heart was starting to pump quickly and pulse in his ears as the realization of the date settled in. 

_ Eighteen years old. Our birthday. _

_ Phil’s promise.  _

His body was jolted by the thoughts, the blood pumping through his body and refusing to let his body relax back into sleep. He slowly sat up, rubbing his face and stretching his arms above his head before rolling his shoulders back and grabbing his glasses. Everything around him felt like it zoomed up around him, and he rubbed his face again with a yawn before swinging himself out of bed. He looked over once more at Wilbur’s ruffled bed, seeing the date circled in bright red highlighter on the calendar above his bed.

_ Even though I was counting down with him,  _ Techno thought as he made his way through the door to the stairs,  _ I still wasn’t expecting an alarm to wake us up at 7am for it. I didn’t think he would care enough to wake up that early. _

_ Guess I was wrong. _

Techno reached up, brushing a few stray strands out of his face as he stared down at the lights downstairs. The smell of eggs and potatoes was already rising from downstairs, making him smile a little.  _ Phil must already be up as well. _

“Fucking disgusting,” A mutter behind Techno caught his attention. He turned around, watching Tommy stumble up beside him and glare down at the stairs. His blue eyes still sagged with sleep, but they were sharp as he started to wake up more. “Waking up this early? On your birthday? This is not how I wanted to start my fucking summer.”

“Don’t complain to me,” Techno told him, raising his hands innocently. “I had nothin’ to do with it. Wilbur stole my alarm without my permission; I’m just as upset as you.”

“Whatever,” Tommy grumbled, folding his arms as a few awry strands of blonde hair bounced on his face. “Should be fucking illegal to wake up this early during the summer.”

Techno shrugged, glancing back downstairs. “You could probably go back to sleep if you wanted.”

“Nah,” Tommy grunted. “Don’t want my food to get cold.” He hesitated, glancing at Techno with a small scowl. “Besides, it is your birthday. The earlier we celebrate, the quicker it ends.”

“Not sure that’s how it works,” Techno commented, but Tommy was already marching downstairs towards the aroma. Techno followed behind him without any further comment, the sky outside already glowing with morning pinks and blues that stretched through their bottom floor. Wilbur was standing in the corner of the kitchen beside the coffee pot, humming, while Tommy had flopped himself over the couch.  Phil was beside the stove, the eggs and potatoes sizzling in front of him while he cooked in his frosty blue morning robe. 

He looked up as he heard Techno’s footsteps, smiling softly, but Techno was startled to see the way his eyes sagged on his face. Despite his apparent exhaustion, his voice was gentle and warm as he greeted Techno, “Happy birthday, Techno.”

Techno blinked, trying to wave off his initial surprise as he smiled a little, walking over and resting up against his father as he looked down at the pans. The smell was making him salivate, the potatoes cooked just the way he liked it. “Need any help with finishin’ breakfast?”

“No, no,” Phil assured, using one arm to wrap around Techno’s shoulders in a brief hug before moving it back down and gripping his spatula again. “They’re almost done anyways. Go get your cup of coffee from Will and I’ll dish you guys up.”

Techno nodded, but he stole another glance at Phil’s face. He was still smiling sleepily, but it was obvious he had been up for quite a while. Techno stepped back, touching his father’s shoulder lightly with his fingertips before moving around him to greet Wilbur at the coffee pot. Wilbur smiled warmly, passing him a mug that Techno took into his hands gently. The warmth from the porcelain seeped out and gently heated his hands, stinging his tongue when he took a sip. It was bitter and warm; perfect to help him wake up but not thoroughly enjoy in flavor.

Despite the bitter flavor, Techno enjoyed the morning breeze that smelled like flowers coming in from the cracked window nearby and the pale light that was coming through the room. He let himself smile a little.  _ Not a bad birthday morning. _

He followed Wilbur out of the kitchen into the dining room, but he paused for a moment to glance back at their father. He had finished the meal and was now stacking scrambled eggs and potatoes onto plates, but Techno could see the slight tremble in his fingers while he handled the spatula. Techno furrowed his brows, sitting down beside Wilbur and whispering, “How early did Phil wake up?”

Wilbur tilted his head, still smiling as he shrugged and took a swig of his coffee. “Dunno. Just said he’d been up for a few hours.”

“A few hours?” Techno echoed, now feeling more concerned as he glanced back at Phil. He fell quiet as Phil delivered the plates of food to them, calling for Tommy as he settled down on the opposite end away from the boys at the other head of the table across from Wilbur.

The conversation faded off as Tommy came in and started his bickering with Wilbur about the early alarm this morning, who was laughing and teasing him about being a “responsible adult like them waking up this early”. Techno tried to follow their conversation, but his eyes kept stealing back to Phil and watched his fingers tap the table or push his hair out of his eyes, smiling and chuckling along. Techno bit his lip, but chose not to question him out loud and kept it to himself.  _ Has he truly only been up for a few hours, or did he not get any sleep at all _ ?  _ Why would he be so anxious? _

He glanced over at Wilbur’s infectious laugh vibrating through the room, and Phil’s promise came back into his head almost immediately. Techno could feel his own anxiety rise as he continued to eat with a small twist in his gut.

_ Is it really that bad? _

When the boys had finished and Tommy was sent to do the dishes, Phil told Techno and Wilbur, “We do have the party plans with your friends and everyone later, don’t forget. But otherwise, the day is for you guys to spend however you’d like.”

Wilbur brightened, pausing on his way up the stairs and making Techno behind him halt as well. “Does that mean we can go out into the town and do cool adult shit for the day?”

“Cool  _ legal  _ adult shit,” Phil corrected, making Wilbur huff in disappointment. Phil reached over and set the remaining plates into the dishwasher, Tommy sliding past him and heading upstairs. “Don’t do stupid shit and be back in time to help prepare the table for birthday dinner.”

“Sounds good!” Wilbur grinned, walking up a few steps before turning to Techno with excitement in his eyes. “Who else shall we take on our first cool adult adventures?”

“Uh…” Techno fiddled with the end of his sleep shirt, keeping his eyes casted away from Wilbur’s burning energy. The last thing he wanted to do on his 18th birthday was potentially get into trouble with Wilbur’s friends. Trying his best to lay it down lightly, he offered slowly, “How about… You go meet with your buddies for half of the day, then I’ll come hang out later?”

“What?” Wilbur deflated, looking faintly injured. “You don’t want to hang out with your twin on our birthday?”

“I don’t want to hang with other 18 year-olds who could potentially get us into trouble as our first day of being legal adults,” Techno countered, folding his arms and glancing back down the stairs where Phil was still cleaning up from their morning meal. He walked a few steps up the stairs to be directly across from Wilbur, adding in a quiet tone so it didn’t carry down the stairs, “Besides, I… I’m worried about Phil.”

“You’re worried?” Wilbur tilted his head, frowning slightly. “Why? He usually wakes up early anyways.”

“I’m just worried,” Techno defended, following Wilbur up the stairs back into their room. “He doesn’t look like he’s been awake for just a few hours. It looks like he’s been awake the entire night. Like he didn’t sleep at all.”

As Wilbur went to search through clothes for the day, Techno went back and sat down on the end of his bed while his shoulders rested on his knees as he hunched over and watched him. Wilbur frowned as he pulled out a pair of blue skinny jeans, turning back to Techno. “Wouldn’t that mean he would want to be left alone then? We can leave him here alone in the house to sleep.”

Techno sighed, running his hand back through his hair as he squinted at him, offering in another disarming tone, “More like you and Tommy could leave him while I… Help him relax as well.”

“Staying at home? Is that really what you want to do on our birthday?” Wilbur asked incredulously, scowling at Techno as he started to take his pajama shirt off. Techno turned away to let Wilbur dress in peace, but he still scolded Techno as he changed, “You want to be alone in this house with our dad? That's really how you would rather spend our birthday?"

“Why not?” Techno asked with another small frown. “Phil did say we could spend it how we wanted. That doesn’t mean I have to follow you. I wanna spend some time with Phil; that’s what I want to do with my birthday.” He turned away, sighing and rubbing his neck. "We should be able to do what we want individually; we don't always have to do things together just because we share a birthday."

Wilbur paused for a moment after he had gotten his clothes on for the day; casual jeans with a white t-shirt with some sort of band printed on the front. Wilbur now was unfurling his round glasses and settling them on his face, but had paused now to stare at Techno. His voice grew lower as he asked warily, “Are you going to ask him about your mom privately?”

Techno felt his heart jerk, and he shook his head rapidly as he stood up to find his own outfit for the day to busy his suddenly twitching hands. “No, no. Trust me, I want that conversation to be with both of us. I just wanted to spend some of my time with him, relaxin' and enjoying my first day as an adult.”

_ Besides,  _ he added quietly to himself as he rustled through his clothes and found his own outfit.  _ I’m not even ready for that conversation yet. _

Wilbur visibly relaxed in the corner of Techno’s mirror, turning away when Techno took off his own shirt and threw on a shirt and started combing out his hair. As Techno slipped into casual sweatpants, his twin let out a hum and finally let it go. “Alright, fine. I’ll take Tommy out with a few friends to stay out of trouble, and you can relax with Phil.” His voice dropped as he added with a mutter, “Dunno how that’s an appealing birthday to you, but whatever.”

“Thank you.” Techno turned to Wilbur, giving him a small smile. “I’ll join you and your friends when you’re all burnt out and most likely not gonna cause chaos.”

Wilbur let out a dramatic sigh, making his way to the door and resting against the frame. When Techno looked over at him, he let out a smirk and saluted with two of his fingers. “Too bad; I always cause chaos twenty-four seven.”

Techno rolled his eyes, listening to Wilbur head down towards Tommy’s room. Techno studied himself in the mirror for a moment; a casual pink t-shirt with gray sweatpants for now, but he would certainly change to more formal wear later for the guests. He combed out his hair with his fingers for a moment, studying the long pink strands before smiling a little as he began reaching for his brush and a few ponytail holders as an idea stirred into his mind.

_ I think I know what might help me and Phil feel a bit better about today. _

_ - _

“I would say I’m surprised you decided to stay home,” Phil spoke through the quiet radio playing in the room, laughing softly, “But I’m not too surprised you chose to not spend a majority of it with your much more energetic twin.”

“Glad I’m predictable,” Techno commented, making Phil chuckle softly again as Techno sat crisscrossed in front of where his father resided on the couch. He smiled softly as he felt his fingers give his hair a brief comb-through with his fingers before using the brush, delicately bringing it through his thin pink hair.

“Did you want to re-dye your hair for your birthday?” Phil asked, the start of a casual conversation. Techno could still feel the undercut of tension Phil was shying away from, knowing inevitably what they might talk about. Lucky for him, however, he wasn’t the only one trying to avoid the subject.

“Nah,” Techno responded, rolling his shoulders back and leaning back a little. Phil gently guided him to sit back up with a hand so he could reach his hair, and Techno adjusted his posture so he was sitting upright as he obeyed. He glanced at the strands fluttering by his head, the soft pink touched by the late morning sun. “The dye seems to be doing fine right now.”

“It is,” Phil agreed, the brush still melodically stroking through Techno’s hair. Techno felt Phil grab the ends of his hair, neatly brushing out a few tangled hairs as he added with a chuckle, “Just wanted to see if you wanted to kill your hair more.”

“I don’t mind the faded pink look it gets when they dye washes out,” Techno offered, shrugging as he glanced at his hair again. It wasn’t too faded right now, still holding a few stronger pink strands mixed in with the other faded ends. “It looks nice. Pastel, in a way.”

“I know,” Phil chuckled again, grabbing a few more stretches of hair to comb them out. “I just fear your hair will fall out sooner or later since it’s as thin as mine and you dye it quite frequently.”

“Thin doesn’t necessarily mean bad,” Techno defended, hearing Phil chuckle. “It’s better than whatever Wilbur and Tommy have going on with their heads of hair. Would rather have my thin hair than their thicker puffy hair.”

Phil chuckled again, going quiet for a moment in concentration as he finished brushing out Techno’s long mane and prepared the few hair ties he had beside him. When he moved forward again, starting the braid, his voice came back in an affectionate tone, “It still makes me chuckle with how yours and Wilbur’s hair is so similar, yet so different. You two had similar brown shades, except yours was just a little more red.”

“I remember,” Techno murmured, a faint whiff of nostalgia hitting him as he remembered the photos of his slightly shorter red hair in school pictures around early middle school before he decided to dye it. It hadn’t been the worst thing in the world; he didn’t actually mind that color, but the pink was much more satisfying.

_ Reddish-brown hair,  _ a thought quietly whispered to him, bringing back a faded image in his mind. Techno tensed for a moment, shooing the thought away as he sighed, wrinkling his face. 

“You alright?” Phil questioned, pausing in his braiding. He couldn’t see Techno’s grimace, but he certainly felt the brief wave of tension that passed through his shoulders.

“Yeah.” Techno quickly regained his bearings, adjusting himself once more before finally growing still, leaning his head back slightly. “Sorry, was just… Remembering that cringe phase of brown hair.”

Phil laughed, and the tension that had been created by that thought slowly faded away with each continual strip of hair being picked up and braided. “It wasn’t cringe! It was pretty. I liked it.”

“Mhm,” Techno hummed, his lips feeling loose as the melodic strokes lulled him into relaxation. His eyes were closing gently, Phil’s hands working with his hair a familiar and safe feeling that he nestled into.

“Not that your hair isn’t pretty now, of course,” Phil clarified, but chuckled again when Techno only hummed again in acknowledgement. Phil was quiet for another moment, collecting a few more of Techno’s hairs to braid before he admitted softly, “I’m surprised you wanted me to do this on your birthday, in all honesty. Especially since you’re an adult now.”

Techno tilted his head a little on instinct, but straightened back up when Phil gently tapped the side of his skull to quietly tell him. He paused, considering his words before speaking in a casual but soft tone, “Well, I mean… I’ve always liked it when you braid my hair. Sure, Wilbur did it more often for school and such, but…” He struggled to describe it, frowning before finally shrugging, feeling suddenly sheepish. “It’s different.”

“Right,” Phil murmured, his fingers neatly threading through his hair. He let out another small chuckle, but his voice hitched slightly as he tried to joke, “Just figured since you’re an adult now, you wouldn’t need me to do this, you know?”

Techno paused, his own heart feeling a small lurch at the statement. “Well… You braiding my hair is certainly better than me doing it myself.”

Phil chuckled again, but it sounded a bit more strained. Phil was quiet again for a few moments, his fingers moving expertly through his hair and focusing on starting the first few braids. There was a gentle but surprising tug on the sides of his head as Phil jerked with his grip, making Techno jolt. 

“Sorry,” Phil apologized softly, his grip loosening as he focused on working with the braids with a much slower approach. He worked silently for another moment before speaking again, his voice subdued, “I just… You know, you’re an adult now. You can do whatever you want. With your hair, with your life…”

Techno felt Phil’s hands rest on his head for a moment, chuckling again. “It just feels like it went so fast. You’re all grown up now, no longer little or needing me to braid your hair.”

Techno felt his breath hitch, his heart seizing with emotion. He bit his lip before slowly raising one of his hands, turning and gently grabbing Phil’s wrist to stop him. When Phil paused, Techno turned his head slightly to not mess up too much of the braid as he asked softly, “You do realize you’re still our dad, right? That won’t magically disappear with us turning 18.”

Phil froze, his mouth slightly agape for a long moment before he smiled weakly down at Techno. “I… I know, Techno.”  He swallowed thickly, his other hand reaching down again to rest against Techno’s head. “I just hope you… You do truly still think that after today, after… After everything.”

Techno studied him for a long moment; how his father’s eyes had gotten slightly glassy and his fingers now trembling on his head and in his grasp. Techno could see the wavering hope in his eyes; the nervous but hopeful look that startled Techno with how emotional it was. He wished he could truly tell him that everything would be alright; that it wasn't going to change anything.

Then he remembered the calendar in Wilbur’s room, the circled date now being crossed out as the days from the previous months were marked off in a similar pattern. The days spent of Wilbur excitedly counting down towards their birthday to find out about their mothers was another day Phil potentially laid in bed, fearing about whatever past he was going to unravel for his sons.  _ It could potentially change everything. _

_ It could, _ Techno repeated, looking up into Phil’s foggy blue eyes and the amount of love he had seen in them throughout his years.  _ But I won’t let it change too much. _

Techno squeezed his father’s wrist gently, reaching up for the small radio on the table in front of him and turning up the volume. As the soothing music grew louder and filled the room, Techno offered quietly, “Why don’t we just listen to some music? Focus on all that stuff when it comes later.”

“Good idea,” Phil agreed in a tone just as muted as his, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat, starting again on Techno’s hair as he settled back, and Techno closed his eyes again to feel his father’s fingers start to comb through once more.

The music filled in their silence, the tension still there but otherwise not present in Techno’s relaxed state or Phil’s gentle humming. It was easy for Techno to lapse back into the bliss of when he was younger, sitting patiently while Phil turned his hair into a braided masterpiece. He felt the same way now; quiet and patient, ready to feel the same rush of joy and love when his father was finished.

_ No matter what he tells us,  _ Techno promised himself, letting himself lean back into the warm touch of his father’s hands.  _ It won’t change what we have.  _

_ - _

Techno was glad he chose to stay home; the social gathering at the end of the day was enough social interaction to get him by for the rest of the month.

He wasn’t aware of the onslaught of new, adult questions he was now being asked by Phil's much more mature adult friends.  _ Have you thought about college? What do you want your future career to be? Have you thought about a wife and kids? Where’s the pretty girlfriend, eventual wife? Have you figured out how to pay taxes? _

Bold of them to assume he wasn’t going to commit tax fraud to make adulting easier. It was his first day of adulthood, and he was already exhausted. 

He scowled at Wilbur a few times across the room, laughing and loosely strumming the guitar he had gotten for his 16th birthday with his friends. He avoided all of the questions from the adults with how carefree he had presented himself and who he associated with; maybe Techno should’ve spent part of his time with them to get himself a “mischievous” label for a day and avoid the high-ended questions.

Wilbur had caught his despairing look one time and decided to join for a portion of the conversation Phil invited him to, trying his best to be polite despite how uninterested he was. He was able to hold through the entire conversation until the existential “What are you going to do with your life?” was brought up, making Wilbur politely excuse himself to the restroom until dinner was ready before gifts were opened.

The gifts from their friends mostly involved money for their own spending needs or savings, at least with Techno. But a few miscellaneous items appeared that pleased him as well; a few different psychology or autobiography books he had listed appeared in wrapping. Wilbur also got a few books pertaining to geography, followed by an expensive watch he had asked for and a new jacket that looked fashionable on him for the winter season. 

Phil was one of the few who gave Techno a requested book and helped with getting Wilbur’s new watch, smiling and laughing with the other adults as they had gotten their gifts. Techno was glad to have seen his father been mostly relaxed for the night, enjoying the conversations and spending time with guests.

But as the door opened each time with departing guests, his eyes would flicker with brief anxiety as he forced a smile and said goodbye. He became much more tense throughout the rest of the evening, now sitting in the corner and taking occasional sips from the water glass he held as his conversations were much more brief. Techno secluded himself as well; his social meter was empty, the anxiety of their conversation stirring as each guest left their house.

When the last guest had left, Phil let out a few deep breaths before turning around, looking into the living room. Wilbur was messing with his watch on the dining table, Tommy watching next to him, while Techno had curled up on the couch with one of his new books. When he heard the front door close for a final time, Techno looked up and met Phil’s heavy eyes. Techno wondered for a moment if he was truly going to tell them tonight until Phil directed to Tommy, “Hey, Tommy, can you help me with the last few plates and silverware? I have one last gift for Wilbur and Techno, but it’s private.”

Tommy wrinkled his nose, but he stood up as he grumbled, “It’s their birthday, and suddenly I’m like their fucking maid.”

“Best gift ever,” Wilbur smiled brightly at Tommy, making the younger shove him and flip him off, but Wilbur’s smile was quick to fade as he stood up and made his way to the couch where Techno was, sitting down slowly and trying to adjust his watch.

Techno put a bookmark in before closing his book and leaning forward, frowning with an amused huff, “Why does your clock say it’s two in the morning?”

“I’m figuring it out,” Wilbur replied under his breath, but his fingers had started to shake and were struggling to work with the small knob to change it. Eventually he gave up, letting out a forceful breath and staring at Techno in anxious silence.

Techno bit his lip, meeting Wilbur’s gaze evenly as the only noise in the room being the sink rushing with water and the quiet ticking of the wall clock hanging beside the window. It was dark out now, much later than Techno had anticipated for this conversation, but he made no further comment as he settled in beside Wilbur and waited for their father to come into the room. He did his best to settle his reeling mind, choosing not to dote on any of the blazing thoughts as they ran by.

The sink water turned off, the retreating steps of Tommy heading back upstairs echoing in the house. Wilbur reached forward and squeezed Techno’s hand tightly in the silence, pain humming briefly through Techno’s hand at the pressure, but he let Wilbur’s hand stay in his as the last remaining dishes were put away.

After a few long moments of silence, Phil finally spoke up quietly, “Give me two minutes, I… I need to go grab a few things.”

Phil retreated to the side, going into his room. Wilbur let out a shaky breath, giving Techno a nervous grin through shaky lips. “Why do I feel so scared all of a sudden?”

Techno felt his heart drum quietly in his ears, his hand finally squeezing back as he stayed silent with his eyes on his father’s room. Wilbur scooted closer to Techno, leaning against him as Phil slowly came back out of his room, staring down at two small pieces of paper in his fingers. He paused at the edge of the living room, taking in two deep breaths before walking forward towards them, handing one photo to Wilbur.

Techno kept his hand in Wilbur’s, feeling it tighten again as he received his final gift. His eyes were now glued to the piece of paper, trembling in his shaky grasp. Techno kept his eyes on Wilbur’s face, watching the different fleeting expressions cross his face until Phil was in front of him, reaching out with his own small square piece of paper.

Techno blinked up at Phil, grabbing it and turning it over. Phil was about to open his mouth to say something, but Techno shook his head to cut him off as he murmured quietly, “I’ll look at it later.”

Phil seemed surprised at this decision, but he nodded and went to sit down on the armchair beside the couch. Techno turned his gaze to his father, watching him settle in his seat and adjust his loose brown sweater he had put on for the evening with darker jeans. He seemed much older sitting here now, his face tight and his eyes clouding as he leaned forward to watch Wilbur with an anxious expression.

Wilbur sniffed beside Techno, his eyes glassy with tears as he slowly looked up and asked in a small voice, “Is this her?”

“It is,” Phil confirmed, his fingers tightening as they curled into fists on his sweater. “Sally Fisher.”

Wilbur’s breath hitched, his eyes widening as Techno felt his hand get clasped in his grip again. Techno looked over at his brother, seeing the way his eyes moved back down to stare at the photo. His lips quivered a little, echoing softly, “Sally Fisher…”

Phil nodded, his hands moving to clasp together as he continued on shakily, “She… She was entrancing. Silky singing voice, just like you. It seemed like every movement and word she spoke was a part of a melody; so intricate and beautiful.”

Wilbur sniffed again, smiling weakly as he asked softly, “So I really did… I really did get my musical side from her?”

“You did,” Phil assured with a weak chuckle, his eyes softening for a moment before clouding with pain again as he looked over at Techno and at the photo still turned over in his hands. “Why don’t you look at… At yours?”

Techno hesitated for a moment, staring down at his knee where the photo was flipped over. His heart started pounding loudly again, his palms clamming up as he rested the tips of his fingers on the edge. Despite Phil and Wilbur looking towards him, one with pressing anxiety and the other with intense wonder, it made him want to rip up the photo and refuse to look at it. 

Despite what his intrusive thoughts were telling him, he nestled one of his fingers under it and flipped it, eyes closing before he could see the image. Wilbur leaned over his shoulder, his shaky breath on his cheek before he murmured, “Techno, take a look. She’s… Beautiful.”

Techno opened his eyes, blinking at Wilbur’s gentle almond gaze before slowly turning his chin down to look at the woman in the image. He gripped it gently by the edges of his fingers, lifting it up to his face to study it as closely as he could through his trembling grasp.

The woman in the image had a determined expression on her face behind blue jeans and a leather jacket, the picture captured in the middle of the day with a green field and towering buildings behind her that looked like apartment buildings. She had a lean face similar to Techno’s, brown eyes that had an amber-like glow to them in the sunlight. With a small lurch in his heart, the hair flowing behind her in the wind gleamed reddish-brown in the light, more ends of her hair looking aflame than the rest. 

_ Reddish-brown hair, _ his mind whispered, the deep memory in his mind clicking gently with the image.  _ It really is her. _

“Andie Gold,” Phil spoke, his voice sounding farther away. “She… Was someone I met when I went to school in America.”

“You went to school in America?” Wilbur asked beside Techno, mild surprise in his tone. Techno didn’t participate in the conversation just yet, his eyes still glued to the picture of the woman in his hands.

“I did for a little bit,” Phil confirmed, exhaling shakily before adjusting himself in his seat. His voice was calmer, but there were a few breaking points where it would waver as he continued, “I met her when I attended a school for a bit in California. She was… Wild, in a sense.”

“Wild?” Wilbur echoed with a faint smile, nudging Techno with his elbow as he joked weakly, “Seems like your boring personality came from Phil, huh?”

Techno didn’t reply, still staring down at the photo of her. His thumb gently traced the curve of her shoulders, running down her arm. He felt lightheaded for a moment, leaning against Wilbur, and he felt the comforting heat of his brother’s hand gently rest on the center of his back.

“We were both a bit more wild in the past,” Phil explained with a weak smile. “As college kids, you know? But she was fiercely intelligent and strong- physically and mentally.”  He swallowed again, looking down at his hands with another quivering smile on his lips. “She was… Amazing. Truly. It was no surprise that I fell for her so quickly, but…”

His voice wavered once more, and he had to take a brief moment to gather himself before he continued softly, “I can’t lie when I say that California wasn’t a good place for me. Andie was there, but… I wanted to come home. I couldn’t stay there, and I told Andie that. She was upset, but she understood.”

He rubbed his hands, closing his eyes and grimacing. He looked over at Wilbur now, looking guilty. “When I got home, I… Spent a night with Sally. She had been an old friend of mine, and we were both upset and high off emotions.”

Wilbur choked for a moment on his own breath, needing to lean into Techno for a moment to steady himself. Techno folded his photo a little bit, looking over at Wilbur as he asked in a choked voice, “You… My mother was an  _ affair?” _

Phil flinched at the shock in Wilbur’s tone, the guilty expression embedding much more deeply into his face. “I… Yes. Sally was… She was a performer; she didn’t want anything to tie her down. So when…”

His voice cut off again, and he looked away with a hand over his mouth to regain his composure. His eyes closed, taking a deep breath before turning to look back at both of them. “I got calls from both of them around the same time weeks later, Andie and Sally both being pregnant. Sally’s call was first; she was so panicked and sad, much too young to properly raise a child.”

He swallowed again, looking at Wilbur directly with a fearful but gentle expression. “She wanted you, Wilbur. She wanted you so badly, but she knew she couldn’t give you the right care with how young she was and how much she wanted to pursue music. She put herself and her career first, and I told her I could take you.”

Wilbur’s mouth gaped open slightly, tears building up in his eyes. He was stunned into silence, Phil recoiling slightly from his son’s silence. Techno didn’t like the tense energy exuding from both of them, Wilbur turning away with a conflicted expression as Phil continued to study him with pain.

“Phil,” Techno finally spoke up, looking up at him. When Phil pried his gaze away to look over at Techno, he asked softly, “What about… My mom?”

Phil exhaled slowly, rubbing his arms vigorously before continuing slowly, “She… She called me with the same news a little while later. We had a fallout, unfortunately, and…” 

He paused, flexing his fingers and closing his eyes briefly with a pained expression as he relived the experience before opening his eyes again to look at Techno. “At the end of that fallout, she told me that she would raise you herself.”

Wilbur tuned back into the conversation, looking surprised. Techno could feel confusion bubbling in his mind, glancing back down at the young woman in the photo with the determined expression. Even though he had never met this woman in his life… He could believe it just by the expression and the fiery look in her eyes.

“What happened, then?” Wilbur questioned, his voice still soft with hesitance. “How did… How did Techno end up with us?”

Phil bit his lip, taking another deep breath. He seemed to be a bit calmer now, still shaking but having a bit more control of his voice as he replied quietly, “I… Was there for Wilbur’s birth. I couldn’t be there for Techno’s, but…” He gave them a weak smile. “By some miracle, you both arrived on the same exact day. Techno was close to the estimated time of arrival, but Wilbur was a few days early. So, in a way, you two were twins.”

Wilbur’s eyes widened a little more, looking over at Techno. Techno met his gaze, feeling an odd swell of quiet affection for his brother.  _ We may not be biological twins, but… Seems to be the closest we could ever get. _

Wilbur squeezed Techno’s hand again, giving him a matching weak smile before looking back over at Phil. Techno turned his head back to his father as well, nodding at him to continue. Phil nodded back, rubbing his face with his hands before continuing, “I was given Wilbur right away; Sally went to her family to rest from the post-pregnancy and put her career on hold for a few weeks before returning back to it, claiming it was a medical emergency. I'm not sure how she kept her pregnancy quiet, but I never questioned her. I was left to raise Wilbur alone, which was fine by me.” He chuckled, looking affectionate in his shaky expression. “It was a bit tough at first, but I definitely fell in love with you. I was ready to bend hell and earth for you.”

More tears built up in Wilbur’s eyes, his face pinching with emotion as he sniffed with a weak smile. Techno let Wilbur lean more into him, keeping his eyes on Phil as his father’s expression dropped again and he continued on, “I raised Will for about… Three years before Andie finally contacted me. I tried contacting her after Techno’s birth, but all she told me was that you were healthy and both of you were fine.” He looked away, more pain etched on his face. “That was the only contact she had with me for years before she asked me to take you in.”

Shocked silence filled the room, Techno feeling his own blood freeze in shock. Wilbur’s mouth opened and closed for a moment, trying to find the words as he asked numbly, “So she… She ghosted you for three years, then asked for you to take in Techno?”

“Yes,” Phil replied softly, his expression still filled with pain and many other heavy emotions making his eyes droop. “She needed me to take him in order to pursue further schooling. I felt like I owed it to her for causing her so much pain, but I also…”

His voice caved, but he looked directly into Techno’s eyes with sincerity behind his pain. “I wanted you as well, Techno. It was painful not being able to see you grow up for the first two years of your life. I was so happy to take you in. You… You were so good on the plane ride home.” He let out a quivering laugh, wiping his face that was now damp with a few stray tears that had escaped. “Wilbur was horrible; I’m sure that entire plane hated me for how much he was crying. But Techno was so good; just quietly occupied with your little pig plushie and looking out the window. To have both of you there with me, though, to realize that I truly was able to become a father… Even though it wasn't the best circumstances, it was such an amazing feeling.”

Techno could feel his cheeks heat up slightly, but Wilbur was croakily laughing next to him, wiping his own face as well. Techno felt his own emotions come to a boiling point, tears threatening to develop, but he forced them down as he rubbed his eyes briefly before setting the photo down on the coffee table, asking quietly, “Since Tommy is only a few years younger than us… How did he come into this?”

Phil flinched, guilt on his expression again as he bit his lip. “He… Was conceived during this, when I went out for a night to myself and had a babysitter for Will.” He looked away, the darkening expression making Techno’s stomach drop. “I’ll… I’ll get to his story later. For now, though… That’s how both of you came to be.”

“Do you keep in contact with them?” Wilbur asked almost immediately after Phil concluded his story. “Do you… Know where they live? What they’re doing now?”

Phil hesitated for another long moment before shaking his head. “It’s been years since I’ve contacted either of them. Sally… Sally came for one of your earlier birthday parties, Will, but… That was when you were much younger.”

Wilbur staggered in what he was going to say for a moment, his expression faltering for a moment. Techno gave him a brief comforting squeeze, filling in as he asked, “Is… Is my mom still in California?”

“As far as I know,” Phil answered, nodding slightly. “The last time she gave me an update… She lived in a small, one-story house near La Jolla, close to where she went for school. I’d assume she’s done with schooling by now…”

His voice quieted for a moment, looking out the window with a vacant expression. “I hope she’s alright…”

“What about my mom?” Wilbur asked, regaining his voice. “Is she…?”

“She’s alive and well last I heard,” Phil confirmed, turning back to his two sons lit up faintly in the pale living room light shining down on them. “She lives in London, actually. She’s a musician there; I heard that she travels in Europe from time to time, but she lives in London.”

Wilbur’s eyes sparked with an idea, but he didn’t speak up what he was thinking. Instead, he took a few moments to himself to stare down at the photo of his mom in his hands before he slowly stood up, walking over to Phil and waiting for him to stand up before hugging him tightly. His voice was muffled, but Techno could still hear him as he murmured fiercely to Phil, “Thank you… Thank you so much.”

Phil blinked rapidly, eyes watering before he wrapped his arms around Wilbur tightly, whispering back, “Of course, Will. I’m… I’m glad you’re taking this well.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Wilbur pulled away from Phil, still smiling. He wiped his face, smiling weakly when Phil reached forward to gently wipe a few tears off of Wilbur’s face as well. Wilbur took Phil’s hand, his thumb rubbing the back of it as he whispered again, “I’m just… I'm glad we know now. Thank you.”

Phil smiled weakly at him once more, but he looked over Wilbur’s shoulder to Techno to meet his eyes hesitantly and invite him in with an extended arm. Techno stood up, gently tucking the photo into one of his pockets before walking over to them, sliding in and wrapping Phil into his arms as well. As Wilbur and Phil each tucked an arm around him, Techno spoke quietly, “Thank you, Phil.”

Phil’s hand came up to gently rub Techno’s head, his hand running down the braid he had put in Techno’s hair earlier before resting around his shoulders. “Of course. I’m… I’m glad you guys aren’t mad at me.”

“Why would we be mad at you?” Wilbur asked softly, taking off his glasses and rubbing them, laughing weakly at how fogged up they were. “I’m just glad you finally told us. Besides, after all of that... We should really be thanking you for taking us in. It's nice to know how we came into your life."

Techno murmured in agreement, resting his head on Phil’s shoulder. Phil’s arm bent to continue rubbing Techno’s head for a moment before sighing, pulling away with a small laugh. “Alright, now that’s settled… I really should go to bed.” He rubbed Techno’s head again before reaching out to rub Wilbur’s. “You two get some sleep too, yeah? You woke up fairly early today.”

“Yeah…” Wilbur laughed softly, giving Techno a sheepish expression to meet Techno’s tired glare. “I think we should.”

Techno finally let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, giving Phil one last hug before pulling away. Wilbur reached over, snagging Techno’s hand and tugging him towards the stairs. Wilbur gave Phil one last affectionate look that was reciprocated by their father before he slipped into his room, Techno giving him a small wave before he was dragged up the stairs. The two boys stumbled into their room, Wilbur letting out a loud exhale as he fell back onto his bed. Techno went towards his pajama clothes, taking the time to change while Wilbur stared up at the ceiling in silence. Techno took the photo of his mother out of his pocket, staring at it for a long moment before setting it on his nightstand, tossing his clothes into his laundry basket before climbing onto his bed.

When Techno burrowed his way into his covers, Wilbur finally spoke up quietly, “That was… A lot.”

“It was,” Techno mumbled, sighing in relief at the feeling of the pillow hitting the back of his head. He was ready for sleep to take him; he’d processed everything in the morning when he was less sleep-deprived. 

“I have many things to say,” Wilbur murmured to the ceiling, the nighttime glow of the moon coming through and gently touching Wilbur’s tossed hair. “I have so many thoughts. I don’t… I don’t even know where to start.” He laughed weakly, and Techno saw him wipe his face again to potentially wipe away his tears. "Fuck, I have so many thoughts right now. I don't even know what to think."

“I know,” Techno sympathized; he definitely still had a few questions, but it wasn’t anything he wanted to stay awake and theorize about. He let his eyes drift close, rolling onto his back and folding his arms behind his head. 

“I do have one idea, though," Wilbur whispered, and Techno could've sworn he could hear his smile. "One that is impulsive but definitely worth it."

Techno froze. The image of Wilbur’s shining eyes from downstairs came back to him, and he let out a small groan. “Please don’t say something irrational.”

“Techno,” Wilbur whispered, and Techno’s heart started to pump loudly again in his ears as he covered his eyes with his hands with another small groan. 

_ I know what you’re going to say,  _ Techno’s mind theorized. He felt way too tired for this; he was only barely processing Phil’s story. He didn’t want his brain to race more than it already was; he didn’t want his heart to be beating as fast as it was with both fear and excitement.  _ Don’t say it. _

“Let’s go meet our moms.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am trying lol
> 
> if you read all of that, thank you so much! comments, kudos, and shares are highly appreciated <3
> 
> hopefully ill see you soon in the next chapter!


End file.
